Jason Mustian
It’s totally cool if someone wants to follow a restrictive diet for personal or health reasons. The problem is when they try to impose their dietary choices on others, like this vegetarian woman who tried to force her dietary restrictions on a stranger who was eating a burger on an airplane.
Or is it a problem? Redditor u/Flightstatus0 recently posed the following question and debate ensued.
AITA for eating during a flight even when the neighbor asked me not to because she can’t stand the smell?
“This is happening right now and the lady sitting next to me is glaring daggers at me while making a passive-aggressive comment under her breath,” they wrote.
“I have an 8-hour flight with a short connection. The 1st flight only served a small cracker pack and the 2nd will be the same. During the connection, I only had barely enough time to run from one end of the airport to the other,” they said, adding, “Once I got to my connecting gate, I found out I had enough time to order food but not eat it. I checked with the gate agent to see if I can bring food on board and she happily reassured me that I could. I went and got a burger, fries, and a drink.”
Content with the knowledge they would be able to eat their meal without issue, they brought the burger and fries on board. “When I was allowed to put the tray down, I did and started to eat. This is when the lady sitting next to me told me she doesn’t eat meat or fried foods and the smell of my burger and fries are making her sick. At 1st I ignored her and kept on eating but she complained louder. I finally told her I bought the food after checking with the gate agent and that I’m hungry so she was out of luck. She called the flight attendant and was told that I’m well within my rights to eat food that was bought at the airport.”
They ended the post by writing, “I know I’m right when it comes to the airline rules but the food is pungent in an enclosed area and she’s still glaring at me so am I an AH?”
Redditors informed the OP that they were well within their rights and that just because the fellow airplane passenger chose to be vegetarian didn’t mean she could force them to not eat the meal they paid for and were allowed to eat in public transit.
